Nnamdi Kanu (in trademark white turtle neck shirt) in court | File photo
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has filed a direct criminal complaint against two witnesses of the Department of State Services (DSS) ahead of judgment in his terrorism case scheduled for Thursday.
In the criminal complaint filed before a chief magistrates’ court in Abuja, the IPOB leader claimed both witnesses identified as TAA (PW1) and BBB, (PW2) “willfully gave false evidence on oath”.
The claims filed by Aloy Ejimakor, on Kanu’s behalf, were brought pursuant to Sections 156, 158(1), 159(1) and 160 of the Penal Code, Section 88 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and Sections 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The claimant averred that “on diverse dates between May and July 2025, at the federal high court, Abuja, during the hearing and trial-within-trial in the case of Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Nnamdi Kanu (FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015), Mr. TAA and MR. BBB, being witnesses called by the prosecution in my trial, willfully gave false evidence on oath, knowing same to be false and/or not believing same to be true and material to the admissibility of the 2015 and 2021 statements, thereby committing perjury contrary to sections 156, 158 and 159 of the Penal Code”.
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“That MR. TAA, on page 352 of the Certified True Copy of proceedings dated 26th June 2025, under oath, stated as follows: ‘I cannot recall… I didn’t know any other Mr. Brown my lord,’ when asked if he knew Mr. Brown Ekwoaba, the Assistant Director (Investigations) at the DSS National Headquarters, Abuja, who personally supervised the October–November 2015 interviews and detention of the complainant.”
The IPOB leader described the denial by TAA as false.
He asserted, “That MR. TAA’s denial is false, as established by: Affidavit of Prince Emmanuel Kanu (Exhibit C), confirming six (6) visits to the complainant in Mr. Brown Ekwoaba’s office at Yellow House, 3rd Floor, between October 2015 and January 2016; affidavit of Benjamin Madubugwu (Exhibit D), confirming interviews with Mr. Brown Ekwoaba and three others in the same office in November 2015; and public records confirming Mr. Brown Ekwoaba as Assistant Director, Directorate (Investigations) (2015–2020), later State Director (Edo & Kwara).
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“That MR. BBB, on page 202 of the Certified True Copy of proceedings, under oath, stated as follows: ‘I have not met him before except in this court,’ despite earlier testifying (pages 184–188) that he led the 17th July 2021 video interview of the complainant at DSS Headquarters.
“That both witnesses were shielded behind masks and screens by order of the trial court, yet gave materially false testimony to conceal the true chain of custody of the 2015 and 2021 statements.”
Kanu, who has been in the custody of the DSS since 2015, is standing trial on terrorism-related allegations.
The defendant had disengaged his legal team, opting to defend himself, while insisting that there was no case against him.
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Despite persuasions from the judge for the defendant to seek legal counsel and enter a defence, Kanu insisted that there was no valid charge against him and declared his continued detention by the DSS illegal.
Consequently, James Omotosho, presiding judge, fixed November 20 to deliver judgment in the case.
Kanu has also filed a motion seeking to stop the judgment of the federal high court.
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